Tag: performance

Dancing Queens

enternity1030Leave a comment

Once the music starts, our bodies are not ours anymore. They follow the music beats as they were born to dance.
Everyday we practice in the Chem Lab, everyday we sweat, we laugh – we are the dancing team.

I was so lucky to have a chance joining our first dancing team at school before I graduate. I have always hoped to have dance team as a choice of sports.

Since the season started, twelve girls joined the team led by Mrs.Beverly. We came for different reasons. Some of us just love dancing, some of us came for losing weight. No matter what reasons they had, I was still glad to dance with a large group like this.

As a team we have been working on their own choreographies for both interest and a preparation for the upcoming musical. With our passions towards dancing, we learned and practiced movements involving various cultures as well.

Most of the girls have never danced before, and this became their first time working within a group which has marked as a great experience for them. Even though we are in different skill levels, we still contributed our best to the team.

As for us, the most important part for us was that we were able to use the sports time to get a head start on the dancing scenes for the musical, which we do not normally have time for. We choreographed “Dancing Queen,” “Medieval Dance,” “Men in Tights” together. And we also did a short performance during the basketball halftime game.

I personally love dancing.
I always believe that dancing is a way to express my feelings instead of speaking them. It gives me courage, power and helps me forget all the sadness and depression.
I love dancing. It is more than just the body movement. It embraces every piece of you and you will easily get lost in the music.

I will miss dancing with my friends.
My every dancing team has become one of the most unforgettable memories for me through my high school years.
Thank you all for dancing with me.

“When we dance, everybody listens.”

P!nk

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

Four years ago, I was watching the Grammy’s with my mom, and saw what I thought was the most amazing performance I had ever seen – or was going to see. P!nk sang her song, “Glitter in the Air,” meticulously while doing acrobatics in midair. I’m not joking. That takes some serious skill, and I was properly impressed.

Of course, P!nk is not exactly one to slack off after delivering only one stellar performance, so she set about proving me wrong two years later during the 2012 American Music Awards, where she executed a flawless ballet routine with a partner to her popular song “Try.” The performance showcased her incredible talent, strength, and flexibility. All while singing. When I thought I would never see a more impressive performance than “Glitter in the Air,” two years prior, I had most definitely been wrong.

Then P!nk went and broke her own personal awesome performance record during this years Grammy’s. She combined her two previous performances, set to her song “Try.” But she didn’t stop there, and she went on to sing her song “Just Give Me a Reason,” with Nate Ruess. In all, the performance was incredible.

I was so impressed with these performances that I sent the three links to my dad – who had an appropriate reaction: “She is a badass.” That about sums it up. And if you haven’t seen the videos, go see them.

Beijing Opera.

eternity1030Leave a comment

Beijing Opera, also known as “Peking Opera,” is one of the most representative performing art of Chinese culture. It is the largest Chinese opera form, and is extolled as “Oriental Opera.”

Having a history of 160 years, the Beijing Opera is developed from absorbing many other dramatic forms, mostly from the local drama ‘Huiban’ which was popular in South China during the 18th century. It is a scenic art combining music, performance, literature, aria, and face-painting. The performance focuses on the technique of expression and different roles have different meanings.

Some main roles in Beijing Opera are: Sheng, a common name of male characters; Dan, the general name for female characters; and Jing, which refers to some male characters with particular appearances or personalities. Lots of them are based on the real historical people.

Another feature of Beijing Opera is the facial painting, also known as Lianpu. Lianpu is regarded as the colorful dressing on actors’ faces. The colors are varied with each characters to represent different themes. For instance, red symbolizes loyalty, such as Guanyu, a great general during Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). Black signifies honesty and frankness.

Beijing Opera portrays the soul of Chinese national culture. It is the unique and eternal treasure of China.

End Scene.

theycallmedameLeave a comment

Sing loud.
Keep your back straight.
Don’t look at your feet.
You move stage right, not stage left.
It’s step-ball-change not ball-change-step.
You’re que is before the beat, not on it.
Cheat out and never look upstage.
Memorize all of Act Two by Friday, no exceptions.

Instruction after instruction and command after command is what it takes to put on a production. Whether it be a production of Shakespeare or the newest and hottest musical out there, without the proper director, any show is doomed.

I’ve been doing theatre since I was in second grade, starting off with Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” playing Puck. Then I moved onto Annie, Grease (twice), The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, The Wiz (twice), Damn Yankees, Beauty and the Beast, Pandora’s Jar, Tommy, Come Together, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Every time I meet new challenges that must be conquered, and every time it is a struggle. But there is no feeling that is even remotely comparable to opening night, when the curtains first fly open and the opening song starts. The feeling of being someone else for an hour or two. It’s irreplaceable.

Performing on stage is a hobby I’ve come to love, and it is a joy every time I open a new script to start highlighting my lines for later memorization. Each performance is a journey, and one that always ends too soon.